Matthew 9

1  AND JESUS, getting into a boat, crossed to the other side and came to His own town [Capernaum].2  And behold, they brought to Him a man paralyzed and prostrated by illness, lying on a sleeping pad; and when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralyzed man, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted.3  And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man blasphemes [He claims the rights and prerogatives of God]!4  But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?5  For which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted, or to say, Get up and walk?6  But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and remit the penalty, He then said to the paralyzed man, Get up! Pick up your sleeping pad and go to your own house.7  And he got up and went away to his own house.8  When the crowds saw it, they were struck with fear and awe; and they recognized God and praised and thanked Him, Who had given such power and authority to men.9  As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, Be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. And he rose and followed Him.10  And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and [especially wicked] sinners came and sat (reclined) with Him and His disciples.11  And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and those [preeminently] sinful?12  But when Jesus heard it, He replied, Those who are strong and well (healthy) have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick.13  Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is, readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance] the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin). 14  Then the disciples of John came to Jesus, inquiring, Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, [that is, abstain from food and drink as a religious exercise], but Your disciples do not fast?15  And Jesus replied to them, Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.16  And no one puts a piece of cloth that has not been shrunk on an old garment, for such a patch tears away from the garment and a worse rent (tear) is made.17  Neither is new wine put in old wineskins; for if it is, the skins burst and are torn in pieces, and the wine is spilled and the skins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.18  While He was talking this way to them, behold, a ruler entered and, kneeling down, worshiped Him, saying, My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will come to life.19  And Jesus got up and accompanied him, with His disciples.20  And behold, a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment; 21  For she kept saying to herself, If I only touch His garment, I shall be restored to health.22  Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well. And at once the woman was restored to health.23  And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making an uproar and din,24  He said, Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping. And they laughed and jeered at Him.25  But when the crowd had been ordered to go outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.26  And the news about this spread through all that district.27  As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, shouting loudly, Have pity and mercy on us, Son of David!28  When He reached the house and went in, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, Yes, Lord.29  Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith and trust and reliance [on the power invested in Me] be it done to you;30  And their eyes were opened. And Jesus earnestly and sternly charged them, See that you let no one know about this.31  But they went off and blazed and spread His fame abroad throughout that whole district.32  And while they were going away, behold, a dumb man under the power of a demon was brought to Jesus.33  And when the demon was driven out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds were stunned with bewildered wonder, saying, Never before has anything like this been seen in Israel.34  But the Pharisees said, He drives out demons through and with the help of the prince of demons.35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity.36  When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. 37  Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.38  So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.

Matthew 9

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

1 After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.s2 Just thent some peoplet brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.t When Jesus saw theirs faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”s3 Thent some of the experts in the lawt said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”s4 When Jesus saw their reaction he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts?5 Which is easier,s to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?6 But so that you may knows that the Son of Mans has authority on earth to forgive sins” – then he said to the paralytics – “Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”t7 And he stood up and went home.t

8 Whent the crowd saw this, they were afraids and honored God who had given such authority to men.t

The Call of Matthew; Eating with Sinners

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.ts “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.10 Ast Jesust was having a mealts in Matthew’st house, many tax collectorss and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples.11 When the Phariseess saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”s12 Whent Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.s

13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’s For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Superiority of the New

14 Then John’ss disciples came to Jesust and asked, “Why do we and the Phariseess fast often,s but your disciples don’t fast?”15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guestst cannot mourn while the bridegrooms is with them, can they? But the dayst are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them,s and then they will fast.16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.

17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins;s otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskinss and both are preserved.”

Restoration and Healing

18 As he was saying these things, a ruler came, bowed low before him, and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.”19 Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him.20 Butt a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edges of his cloak.t21 For she kept saying to herself,t “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.”ts22 But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, “Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well.”t And the woman was healedt from that hour.23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the disorderly crowd,24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him.t25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and gently took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

26 And the news of this spread throughout that region.t

Healing the Blind and Mute

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting,t “Have mercys on us, Son of David!”s28 Whent he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesust said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”29 Then he touched their eyes saying, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”30 And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about this.”

31 But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that entire region.t
32 Ast they were going away,t a man who could not talk and was demon-possessed was brought to him.33 After the demon was cast out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!”

34 But the Phariseess said, “By the rulert of demons he casts out demons.”s

Workers for the Harvest

35 Then Jesus went throughout all the townst and villages, teaching in their synagogues,s preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.t36 Whent he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless,t like sheep without a shepherd.37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvests to send outt workers into his harvest.”